Method of shaping plug receptacle

ABSTRACT

A method for providing a receptacle includes the steps of: providing a stamped blank having a strip-like conductor which includes longitudinal edges (7), a resilient contact plate, a connective plate having a first portion and a second portion, and at least one projection: a first bending step for bending the extension such that flat surfaces of the projection are perpendicular to flat surfaces of the resilient contact plate; a second bending step, conducted after the first bending step, for bending the first portion of said conductive plate such that flat surfaces of the resilient contact plate are perpendicular to flat surfaces of the strip-like conductor; and a third bending step, conducted after the second bending step, for bending the first portion of the connective plate such that the flat surfaces of the at least one projection are perpendicular to the flat surfaces of the strip-like conductor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a receptacle for receiving a plug of, forexample, a switch or a relay, and also to a method of shaping such areceptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a known receptacle 2 of this general type is shown.The receptacle 2 includes a strip-like conductor 1 formed integrallytherewith. The receptacle 2 also includes a resilient contact plate 3for contact with a flat surface of a flat-type plug A, and finger-shapedprojections 5 and 5' extending from the opposite sides of the contactplate 3 through extensions 4 which are bent. The flat surfaces of thefinger-shaped projections 5 and 5' are disposed perpendicular to theflat surfaces of the contact plate 3, and rounded heads 6 of theprojections 5 and 5' are adapted to press against the other flat surfaceof the plug A. The contact plate 3 extends integrally from one end ofthe conductor 1. The plug A is adapted to be inserted into thereceptacle in such a manner that the flat surfaces of the plug A aredisposed perpendicular to longitudinal edges 7 of the conductor 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the receptacle 2 of FIG. 1 is shaped by bending astamped blank m along bending lines 8a to 8c indicated by broken lines.

When the strip-like conductor 1 is to be used as a bus bar circuit for acircuit board mounted within an electric connection box, it is oftenrequired, because of the limitations on the arrangement of the circuitand the direction of insertion of the flat-type plug A, to provide, asshown in FIG. 3, a receptacle 2' to which the plug A is adapted to beconnected in such a manner that the plug A is disposed in parallelrelation to the longitudinal edges 7 of the conductor 1.

FIGS. 4(a) to 4(d) show the steps of shaping the receptacle 2' of FIG.3. First, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and (b), on finger-shaped projection 5'of a blank m' is bent, using upper and lower dies 9 and 9'. At thistime, since the contact plate 3 and the other finger-shaped projection 5are supported by the lower die 9', the finger-shaped projection 5' ispositively bent. However, as a result of the bending of thefinger-shaped projection 5', when the contact plate 3 is to be bentrelative to the other finger-shaped projection 5, using upper and lowerdies 10 and 10' (FIGS. 4(c) and 4(d)), that portion 10a' of the lowerdie 10' supporting the extension 4 is so small and inadequate that apositive bending cannot be achieved. Therefore, a precision at thisregion (and hence a proper gap between the resilient contact plate 3 anda rounded head 6 of the finger-shaped projection 5) is affected, thusdegrading the performance of the resultant receptacle 2'.

In order that the flat-type plug A can be inserted into a receptacle 2',with the flat surfaces of the plug A disposed in parallel relation tothe longitudinal edges 7 of the conductor 1, when the finger-shapedprojection 5 or the finger-shaped projection 5' is bent relative to thatportion of the blank m' disposed forwardly of the conductor 1 as shownin FIG. 4(a), a positive bending cannot be achieved, thus adverselyaffecting the precision and performance of the receptacle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a receptacle freefrom the drawbacks associated with the known receptacle, and also toprovide a method of shaping such a receptacle. The present inventionaccomplishes these and other objects by a method of shaping areceptacle, the method including the steps of:

providing a connective plate at one end of a strip-like conductor, theconnective plate having a first portion disposed perpendicular tolongitudinal edges of the conductor and a second portion disposedparallel to the longitudinal edges;

providing a stamped blank which has a resilient contact plate extendingfrom the second portion of the connective plate, and finger-shapedprojections extending respectively from opposite sides of the resilientcontact plate through respective extensions;

bending the extensions in such a manner that flat surfaces of thefinger-shaped projections are disposed perpendicular to flat surfaces ofthe resilient contact plate of the blank;

subsequently bending the first portion of the connective portion in sucha manner that the flat surfaces of the resilient contact plate aredisposed perpendicular to flat surfaces of the conductor; and

subsequently further bending the first portion of the connective plateinto an upstanding condition in such a manner that the flat surfaces ofthe finger-shaped projections are disposed perpendicular to the flatsurfaces of the conductor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known receptacle;

FIG. 2 is a developed view of the receptacle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another known receptacle;

FIG. 4(a) to 4(d) are views illustrative of the steps of shaping thereceptacle of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a receptacleof the present invention;

FIGS. 6(a) to 6(d) are views illustrative of the steps of a receptacleshaping method of the present invention; and

FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d) are views illustrative of the steps of shaping thereceptacle, using dies.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 5, a receptacle 2" of the present invention has aresilient contact plate 3 extending from a strip-like conductor 1through an L-shaped connective plate 11 extending from one end of theconductor 1, the contact plate 3 extending in parallel relation to theconductor 1. Finger-shaped projections 5 and 5' extend respectively fromopposite sides of the resilient contact plate 3 through respectiveextensions 4, the projections 5 and 5' being disposed perpendicular tothe contact plate 3. A flat-type plug is adapted to be inserted into aspace between the resilient contact plate 3 and the edges of thefinger-shaped projections 5 and 5' The L-shaped connective plate 11 issuitably bent as needed. Only one of the finger-shaped projections 5 and5' may be provided in which case the finger-shaped projection 5 or 5' isbent intermediate opposite ends thereof so that the bent portion isdisposed in opposed relation to the central portion of the resilientcontact plate 3.

Referring to FIGS. 6(a)-6(d) a receptacle shaping method according tothe present invention is shown. Those portions in FIGS. 6(a)-6(d)indicated by hatching are supported on a lower die (described later)when shaping the receptacle, and broken lines 12a to 12c indicate linesof bending. In FIG. 6(a), there is provided a stamped blank M whichincludes the connective plate 11 extending from the end of thestrip-like conductor 1 and having a portion 11a disposed perpendicularto the longitudinal edges 7 of the conductor 1 and a portion 11bdisposed parallel to the longitudinal edges 7. The resilient contactplate 3 extends from the portion 11b of the connective plate 11, and thefinger-shaped projections 5 and 5' extends respectively from theopposite sides of the resilient contact plate 3 through respectiveextensions 4. The extensions 4 are bent in such a manner that the flatsurfaces of the finger-shaped projections 5 and 5' are disposedperpendicular to the flat surfaces of the resilient contact plate 3 ofthe blank M as shown in FIG. 6(b). Then, the portion 11a of theconnective plate 11 is bent in such a manner that the flat surfaces ofthe resilient contact plate 3 are disposed perpendicular to the flatsurfaces of the conductor 1 as shown in FIG. 6(c). Further, the portion11a of the connective plate 11 is bent into an upstanding condition insuch a manner that the flat surfaces of the finger-shaped projections 5and 5' are disposed perpendicular to the flat surfaces of the conductor1 as shown in FIG. 6(d).

Thus, there is provided the receptacle 2" into which the flat-type plugA can be inserted in a direction parallel to the longitudinal edges 7 ofthe conductor 1.

FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d) show the steps of shaping the above receptacle withthe use of dies. In FIG. 7(a), reference numeral 13 denotes an upperdie, and reference numeral 14 denotes the lower die. The lower die 14has recesses 14b on opposite sides of a support portion 14a forsupporting the resilient contact plate 3. The recesses 14b enable theperpendicular bending of the finger-shaped projections 5 and 5'. Theupper die 13 has convex portions 13a which is formed on its surfacefacing the lower die and correspond to the respective recesses 14b. Thetransverse width of the support portion 14a is slightly greater thanthat of the resilient contact plate 3, and is equal to the dimensionbetween the bending lines 12a along which the extensions 4 are bent,respectively. When the upper die 13 is moved downward with the resilientcontact plate 3 resting on the support portion 14a, the finger-shapedprojections 5 and 5' are pressed by the convex portions 13a and areperpendicularly bent along the bending lines 12a relative to the contactplate 3 as shown in FIG. 7(b).

Then, as shown in FIG. 7(c), using a lower die 16 (which has a supportportion 16a for supporting the end portion of the conductor 1 and alsohas a recess 16b for enabling the bending of that portion of thereceptacle 2" including the connective plate 11) and an upper die 15having a convex portion 15a, the bending along the bending line 12b iseffected, so that the flat surfaces of the resilient contact plate 3 arebrought into perpendicular relation to the flat surfaces of theconductor 1 (FIG. 7(d)), thus obtaining the configuration shown in FIG.6(c).

In this condition, the end portion of the conductor 1 is perpendicularlybent along the bending line 12c, using a die (not shown), as shown inFIG. 6(d), thereby providing the receptacle 2" disposed in upstandingrelation to the conductor 1.

Since the stamped blank M for forming the receptacle is connected to theend of the strip-like conductor 1 through the connective plate 11 asshown in FIG. 6(a), the opposite finger-shaped projections 5 and 5' canbe positively bent, with the conductor 1 and the contact plate 3 alwayssupported on the lower die 14, when bending and shaping the receptacle2". Therefore, the shaping precision and the performance of thereceptacle 2" can be enhanced.

Whether the flat surfaces of the flat-type plug A adapted to be insertedinto the receptacle are disposed perpendicular to or parallel to thelongitudinal edges 7 of the conductor 1 is determined depending onwhether the portion 11a of the connective plate 11 is bent or not.Therefore, the selection of the direction of insertion of the flat-typeplug A into the receptacle can be made without being influenced by thearrangement of the conductor 1.

As described above, according to the present invention, the shapingprecision and the performance of the receptacle formed integrally withthe conductor can be enhanced, and also the selection of the directionof insertion of the flat-type plug into the receptacle can be madewithout being influenced by the arrangement of the conductor.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of shaping a receptacle, comprising thesteps of:providing a connective plate (11) at one end of a strip-likeconductor (1), the connective plate having a first portion (11a)disposed perpendicular to longitudinal edges (7) of said conductor and asecond portion (11b) disposed parallel to the longitudinal edges;providing a stamped blank (M) having a resilient contact plate (3)extending from said second portion of said connective plate, andfinger-shaped projections (5, 5') extending respectively from oppositesides of said resilient contact plate through respective extensions (4);bending said extensions in such a manner that flat surfaces of saidfinger-shaped projections are disposed perpendicular to flat surfaces ofsaid resilient contact plate; subsequently bending said first portion ofsaid connective plate in such a manner that the flat surfaces of saidresilient contact plate are disposed perpendicular to flat surfaces ofsaid strip-like conductor; and subsequently further bending the firstportion of said connective plate such that the flat surfaces of thefinger-shaped projections are perpendicular to the flat surfaces of saidstrip-like conductor.
 2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein saidbending steps are performed with dies.
 3. A method of shaping a plugreceptacle comprising the steps of:a providing a stamped blank (M)comprising a strip-like conductor (1) having longitudinal edges (7), aresilient contact plate (3), and a connective plate (11) extending froman end of the strip-like conductor, the connective plate having a firstportion (11a) which is perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of saidstrip-like conductor and having a second portion (11b) which is parallelto the longitudinal edges, the stamped blank further comprising at leastone projection (5,5') extending from a side of said resilient contactplate through an extension (4); a first bending step for bending saidextension such that flat surfaces of the at least one projection areperpendicular to flat surfaces of said resilient contact plate; a secondbending step, conducted after the first bending step, for bending thefirst portion of said connective plate such that the flat surfaces ofsaid resilient contact plate are perpendicular to flat surfaces of saidstrip-like conductor; and a third bending step, conducted after thesecond bending step, for bending the first portion of said connectiveplate such that the flat surfaces of the at least one projection areperpendicular to the flat surfaces of the strip-like conductor.
 4. Themethod as defined in claim 3, wherein the provided stamped blankincludes two projection extending from opposite sides of said resilientcontact plate.
 5. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein said firstbending step comprises the steps of:placing the provided stamped blankon a first lower die (14) having at least one recess (14b) correspondingto the at least one projection, and having a support portion (14a) forsupporting the resilient contact plate; and moving a first upper die(13) having at least one convex portion (13a) formed on the surfacethereof and corresponding to the at least one recess of the first lowerdie, such that the at least one convex portion contacts and bends the atleast one projection until the surfaces of the at least one projectionare perpendicular to the surfaces of said contact plate.
 6. The methodas defined in claim 5, wherein said second bending step comprises thesteps of:placing the stamped blank on a second lower die (16) having asupport portion (16a) for supporting an end portion of said conductorand having a recess (16b); and moving an second upper die (15) having aconvex portion (15a) into said recess portion of said second lower dieso that the flat surfaces of said resilient contact plate areperpendicular to the flat surfaces of said conductor.